Attachment for air-brake couplings.



M. A. BROWN. ATTACHMENT FOB Am BRAKE COUPLINGS.

APPLIUA'IION TILED MAR. 21., 1911,

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 1.

wrrNEsss ATTORNEY M. A.'BROWN. ATTACHMENT FOR AIR BRAKE COUPLINGS.

Patented Dep. 19, 1911.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 21, 1911.

.MzrAflmwm,

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY UNITE stains nrnn'r OFFICE.

MARK A. BROWN, 0]? CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE. ASSIGNOR T0 BROWN AUTOMATIC CONNECTOR COMPANY, OF CHAT'IANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

ATTACHMENT FOR AIR-BRAKE COUPLINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

Application filed. March 21; 191.1. Serial K0 6112907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARK A. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and Stateof lennessee, have invented a new and useful Attachment for Air-Brake Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an attachment for air brake couplings.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of air brake couplings, more especially the means for suspending the same beneath a car, and to provide a simple, etlicient and inexpensive device, adapted to be readily applied to the shank of any standard'M. C. B. car coupler without necessitating any alteration in the construction of the same, and capable of affording free longitudinal, vertical and lat eral movement of the air brake coupling, whereby the latter is adapted to automati cally accommodate itself to the vertical movement and latcral'vibrations of a car in motion without straining or impairing the union of two connected air brake con plings.

Y A further object of the invention is to provide a device of 'this character, adapted to be quickly secured to and removed from a car coupler, and capable of being readily arranged in the space between the draft yoke or other attaching means and the adjacent carry iron without interfering with the longitudinal movement of the car coupler.

With these and other. objects in View, the invention consists in the onstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion,

size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the s irit o'r sacrificing any of the advantages 0. the invention. I I

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation, showing two air brake cou lings connected together and equipped wit supportbca ring bracket or support.

ing devices, constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 isa longitudinal sectional view of one of the air brake couplings. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same, the shank of the car coupling being in section. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail erspective view of the suspension brac ret. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view ofthe Fig. 7 is a detail perspective View of one of the chain adjusting plates.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding partit in all the figuresof the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated. the preferred embodiment of the invention, 1 designates a bearing bracket or support, constructed of suitable metal and consisting of a flat horizontal plate 2, pro vided at its upper face with parallel lon tudinal ribs or flanges 3 and having laterafiy extending ears 4, and rovided also at the front and back with cependin longitudinally alined bearing lugs 5. e rlbs or flanges 3 are adapted to fit against the lower face of the shank 6 of a car 0011 ler 7, and to space the plate or body portion 2 of the bracket from the shank to permit the bearing bracket or supportto clear the carry iron 8, in order to enable the bearing bracket tO bB applied to car couplers where there is a comparatively small amount of space between the carry iron 8 and the draft yoke 9 or other draft mechanism. The ribs or flanges 3 have a vertical thickness or height in excess of the carry iron 8, so that if necessary the carry iron' may in the longitudinal movement of the car couplcrextend into the recess or space 10 between the front or outer end of the late 2 and the lower face of the shank 6. his construction will be found of especial advantage in those car couplings where a relatively wide carry iron is employed. The laterally extending ears or ugs 4 are rovided with perforations for lower thread ed portions 11 of the sides of a U bolt 12, which has fiat upper side portions and a flat top connecting portion, as clearly Y of the U bolt pass.

illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. This construction enables the bearing bracket or support to be secured to the shank 6 of the car coupler by a single fastening means Without, liability of twisting or turning. Any equivalent construction may be employed for securing thezbearing bracket or support to the shank 6 of the car coupler, but the U bolt has the advantage of simplicity and it does not necessitate drilling holes through the shank 6, or otherw1se al tering. the construction thereof. The lower threaded portions 11 receive nuts 13, preferably arranged in pairs as shown to obtama lOCklllgtflCtlOl'l, and they also secure a pa r of fiat oblong plates 14 to the bearing bracket or support. The plates 14 are fitted against the lower face of the plate 2 of the bearing l-racket or support at opposite sides of the depending bearing lugs 5, and they are provided with openings through which the sides The side plates operate in the nature of washers and also serve as means for adjustably connecting chains 15 to the bearing bracket or support.

' The depending bearing lugs 5 of the bracket or support l'reccivea horizontal pin 16, which pivots a depending suspension bracket 17 to the bearing bracket or support. The pivot pin 16 is preferably retained in the bearing openings of the lugsh by keys 18, but any other suitable fastening means may be employed for this purpose. The ilepending bearing bracket consists of short upper vertical portion 19, a downwardly and forwardly inclined intermediate portion 20, and a lower vertical outer or front portion 21, arranged in advance of the plane of the rear face of the vertical top portion. The vertical top portion is provided with a central horizontal bearing opening 22 for the passage of the pivot pin 16, and its top is rounded transversely to permit a tree swinging movement of the suspcnsioi'i bracket, which is fitted between the bearing lugs in close proximity to the lower face of the plate 2 of the bearing bracket or support. This provides a strono construction not liable to be broken by the ars and vibrations incident to coupling and uncoupling cars and to the movement of i he parts thereof when the train is in. motion, The 1nt ermediate inclined portion 20 is provided with alongitudinal opening 24- to lighten the construction, and the lower vertical portion 21 is also provided: with an opening arranged vertically and receiving the shank or stem 26 of a coupling head 27 of the air brake coupling, shown and described in my co-pending application, filed Apr, (5, 1910, Seriallio. 553,73 q l 'lhesuspcnsion bracket supports the rear portion oiitloe car brake coupling, aud'the coupling head 2'? is yieldably'niaintained in in-a socket 33 of a slidahle plate or member I 34. The slidable plate or member 3% is lit ted against the front or outer edges of the lower vertical portion 21 of the suspension bracket, and it is provided. with side flanges 35 to embrace the lower vertical portion of the bracket. The pipe or stem extends through a central opening 36 of the slirleblc plate or member 34:. The central opening; 36 is of sufficient diameter to permit a free movement of the air brake coupling in any direction on the bore and socket joint. or i bearing, formed by the rounded tubular pro ection and the socket 83 of the slidable plate or member 34%. This will enable the coupling head to yield to the vertical movement and lateral vibration of the cars when in motion, and in practice the connected air brake couplings Wlll maintain a relatively.

central position, while the swinging of the suspension bracket accommodates the parts to the lateral swaying or vibratory movements of the cars;

Also this construction I Wlll enable the operation of'the automatic coupling to be efiected on curves as well as on a straight track. an brake'couphng' and the air and steam The construction of the connections is substantially the same as those sufficiently s-lacl-ito permit a free movement of the air brake couplings in any direction without liability o'f straining or impairing the air tight union or joint between the couplings'. The chains 15. which ext-end downwardly and outwardly from the bearing bracket. or support, are provided at their lower ends with enlarged lap links 3?,which are linked into per' rations of thelugs 38,

extending laterally t'rorn opposite-sides of the coupling head 27 and'arrange'd centrally thereof with rcspcctto the top and bottoi'n of the coupling head: The upper ends ot the chains are connected by clevisesilg with the front portions of the plates 14: The cleviscs are approximately U-shaped teembrace the frontporti'ons otthe plates. 14,

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and they are provided with pert'orations For l shank of the car coupler and provided with the reception of pins 4 or other suitable "cninp' devices. The iron alre: .lflproject beyond the ,lront or outer the bearing bracket or support, and I ed at lnllervalswith perforations -l adapted to receive the pin H) to permit a adjul-xinicnt of the chains-to lengthen and The chains are adapted ."tz-p the same.

shown in V a ion of the spring 28. when the air lirake coi'ipling uncoupled, automalimiliy stretches the chains in a taut coinlition so hat the outwardly diverging chains will iirn'ily suppint't the coupling head in a central. horizontal position for coupling whereby the air bra kc couplings will couple automatically when the cars are coupled without requiring an\ attention on the part oi the trainnlen.

Having;- thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by i ieliters Patent,

l. iii device of the class described com-- prising a bearing bracket or support, means For s'aizuring the some beneath a car, a suspenslon bracket depending from the hear- :ing; bracket or support and provided with means .lor supporting the inner or rear portion of an air brz'ke coupling, a longiiiulinally dis 'ioscd horizontal pivot connecting; the suspension bracket to the bearing bracket or support and pern'iitting a lateral swinging movement of the former, and flexible'coniieclions supporting the outer portion ot the air brake coupling and cooperating with the suspension bracket to support the air brake coiuvlinp' in position l er coupling.

The ci'unbination with an air brake coupling having a cushioning spring, a bearing: bracket or support provided with llltilhfi for semiringit to the shank ol? a car coupler, a suspension bracket pivotally connected to and depending from the bearing bracket or support and provided with means for supporting the inner or rear portion of the air brake coupling, and flexible connec tions extending downwardly and outwardl from the bearing bracket or support and connected with the front or outer portion of the air brake coupling For supporting the same in position for coupling", said llvxible connections being nuiinl'ained taut by the cusl'iioniiip; spring: and being automatically alackcncl'l through the connn'ession of the spring when the air brake coupling is coupled.

7%. A device oi the class described incliniin a b aring i'n'arket or support :ulapl'ed lo lit the underside of the shank ot' a car coupler, a U boltadapted to cuiljiracc the loud either from the front or side of and. they 'dirrerge outwardly, as clcarl v rho; oi? tho drawings. The cx- 1 ends of the:

means for engaging the bearing bracket or support, an extension bracket pivotally connected with and depending from the heal-lug bracket or support and provided with means .t'or supporting the inner or rear portion of an air brake coupling, and tlexibleconnew lions extending downwardly and outwardly from the bearing bracket or support and provided at their lower ends with means for connecting them with the front or outer portion of the air brake coupling.

t. A device ol' the class described including a hearing; bracket or support consisting of a plate [)IUVitittl at its upper face with ribs or Hanger: arranged to space the plate from the underside of the shank of a car coupler a suspension bracket pivolially connected with the plate and depending therel'roni and having means For supporting the inner or rear portion olf an air brake coupling, and flexible conneiaions extending from the front portion. of. the bearing bracket or support and spaced from the shank of the car coupler and extending dowinwari'lly and outwardly and provided at their lower ends with means for connecting them with the outer or front. portion of the air brake coupling.

5. A device of the class described including a bearing bracket or support consisting of a plate provided at its upper face with ribs or flanges spaced from the front end of the plate and adapted to fit against the underside of a shank of a car coupler, said plate being; also provided with depending longitudinally alincd bearings, a' pivot arranged in the said bearings, a suspension bracket having its upper end tilted between the bearings and provided with an opening to receive the said pivot, said suspension bracket being also provided at its lower end with means for supporting the inner or rear portion of an air bra kc coupling, and flexible connections extending downwardly and outwardly from the iwaring bracket or sup port and provided with means for connecting them with the outer or front portion of the air brake coupling.

(3. A device of the class described including a bearing bracket or support provided at; opposite sides with openings, at U bolt adapted to embrace the shank of a car cou pler for securing the bearing bracket or support beneath the same a suspension bracket pivotally connected to and depending from the bearing bracket or support and provided with n ans for supporting the inner or rear portion of an air brake coupling, longitudinal side plates fitted against the hearing bracket or support and secured to the some by the said U bolt and having projectin'p; front portions provided with pert'ora Lions, and inclined outwardly diverging the side plates.

I chains provided at their lower ends intestimony, thetlI olaim the foregoing means for eonnecting them with the air as my own, I have hereboafiixed my slgnabrake coil ling at opposite sides thereof and ture 1n the presence of two-witnesses.

having cl vises at their upper ends, said; 1 MARK A..BROW'N.

clevises having pinsfo'r adjustably engagin Witnesses:

the perforations of the extended portlons 0% JOHN H. SIGGERB, 'e

. EDITH L. BROWN. 

